PwC strikes deal with San Francisco startup to let lawyers and tax experts use AI chatbot March 15, 2023 PwC has struck a deal to start using an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to speed up work in its tax and legal divisions as the world’s top professional services firms increasingly look towards tech to boost efficiency. The accounting firm’s initial 12-month contract with San Francisco startup Harvey will see all 4,000 staff in PwC’s [...]
ENRC: UK’s Serious Fraud Office must share blame for its former lawyer’s leaks, Dechert tells High Court March 15, 2023 US law firm Dechert has accused the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of knowingly cultivating an “improper relationship” with its former partner, corrupt City lawyer Neil Gerrard, in an ongoing legal battle concerning Kazakh mining firm ENRC. The law firm’s charge comes as it responds to a High Court claim by ENRC, which is seeking [...]
Silicon Valley Bank collapse poses ‘tremendous opportunity’, lawsuit funder LCM says March 14, 2023 The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank poses a “tremendous opportunity” for more lawsuits, funder Litigation Capital Management (LCM) has said. The firm is readying itself to profit on an uptick in bankruptcies as the global economy hits a slump, the company’s chief executive has said. The Australian financier, that in February made £7m in profits [...]
Calls to overhaul ‘antiquated’ trial rules grow as SFO forced to drop G4S case March 14, 2023 The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on Friday said it would be dropping its case against three former G4S executives over claims they defrauded the UK government of tens of millions of pounds. The collapse of the SFO’s case came after G4S itself took responsibility for the fraud that saw it mislead Britain’s Ministry of Justice [...]
Manchester City face wait until 2027 for punishment in Premier League dispute March 8, 2023 It may take as long as four years for Manchester City to receive punishment if found guilty of perpetrating the biggest financial scandal in Premier League history. City were charged last month with more than 100 alleged rule breaches dating back to 2009, including falsely reporting income and the salaries of players and managers, and [...]
In-house lawyers will need both investment and a more proactive approach to survive, says senior PwC exec March 8, 2023 PwC is seeking to profit on the global downturn by offering companies advice on ways they can overhaul their in-house legal segments, to boost growth and cut costs. The Big Four firm is claiming businesses must fundamentally transform their in-house legal departments, in order to survive in an increasingly competitive world. This means turning risk [...]
United Utilities sewage dumping case heads to Supreme Court March 6, 2023 The UK’s largest listed water company, United Utilities, heads to the Supreme Court this week in a fight over discharge of sewage into the country’s waterways. The Manchester Ship Canal Company, which owns the 36-mile long canal that links Manchester to the Irish Sea, is claiming the water firm’s sewage disposal methods are akin to [...]
UK’s Serious Fraud Office to face Kazakh miner ENRC in court as decade-long legal fight continues March 6, 2023 The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will today face Kazakhstani mining company ENRC in London’s High Court, as it continues its fight against the British government agency almost 10 years after it first launched an investigation into the former FTSE 100 firm. The SFO first launched its investigation into ENRC in April 2013 in relation [...]
Law Society takes government to court over solicitors’ legal aid fees March 1, 2023 The Law Society is seeking to force the UK government to give criminal solicitors a 15 per cent pay hike by taking the matter to court. The legal sector trade body is calling on the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to give criminal solicitors a pay rise that matches the 15 per cent hike given to [...]
Brexit-backer Arron Banks wins appeal in Carole Cadwalladr libel case February 28, 2023 Brexit-backer Arron Banks has won an appeal in his libel lawsuit against investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr. The UK’s Court of Appeal today said Cadwalladr should pay libel damages to Banks over claims she made in a 2019 Ted Talk concerning the Brexit campaigner’s purported links to Russia. Today’s decision saw the Court of Appeal overturn [...]